I point out that I am only the club's secretary - so
there are only 12 members present. But Al, unlike many
members, has read the 'About the Club' page carefully, and
insists it is a record number.

The New Jersey side of
the club - unstaged for the week's 'group photo.'

Al and Edgar then discuss favorite baseball, basketball
and hockey players who are no longer playing. Elizabeth
wants to know, "Is 70 old?" Edgar says he's seen
restaurants that have steak-frites on their menus - pure
'bio.' Charles says the fashionable restaurant 'May Ray' is
over-rated.

As a tip, he adds, "To visit the catacombs, you need
batteries for your flashlight." He also says he buys his in
the US where they are much cheaper.

This is obviously the 'Visitor Tip of the Week.' If the
catacombs are on your short visit-list, bring all the
batteries you think you'll need, especially if you have a
generous baggage allowance and strong arms.

Don't let it be said this club is totally useless. Why,
today alone we have tour guides, a good tip for
pétanque players if they are 170 miles south of
Chicago, and an illuminating idea for the old bones
fans.

Despite all this good stuff a small army of New Jersey
members leave early, possibly to get some air. This is also
a kind of way of saying I can't possibly begin to record
what 12 people have been saying all at once together for
two hours.

The state of refreshments by the time
today's meeting ends.

About 30 minutes after the meeting is over, Charles,
Erica, Al and I are standing on La Corona's Quai du Louvre
terrace as the sun slants lower towards the west - dotting
'i's and crossing 't's - until it is time for Erica and Al
to head west, towards a mellow sundown in Paris.

The
Final Repeat Shopping Tip Used To Be Here*

*Now it is not.

The 'About the Café
Metropole Club' Page

Historical details about your Café Metropole
Paris Club, all of them memorized by Al Riley - as opposed
to concocted 'reports' - in Paris, can be found on the
'About the Café Metropole
Club page,' which is about your club and has a link
here, and on each issue's 'home' page, in case you forget
the one here.

Date, Time and Location of Next
Meeting

Ignore the 'about the club' stuff if you dare but you
should read this about the next Café Metropole Club
meeting - it will be held on Thursday, 22. February 2001 -
which is actually next week.

Regardless of whether you are in Paris it will be
Sainte-Isabelle's Day anyway - which will be
followed by Friday, which
will be just another ordinary Saint-Lazare day, even if you
aren't going anywhere near the train station.

The
westward, sun-going-down view of La Corona's terrace
today.

The café La Corona meeting place will be open as
it is every day and every Thursday. Your club's meeting
time will be from 15:00 to 17:00 in Europe's Central
European Time Zone - 'CET' for short and not 'FABUF' - and
elsewhere known as 3 pm to 5 pm otherwise.

The club's usual secretary, which is myself, will be
taking some 'report' notes during the coming meeting. New
club members with new conversational subjects will be
highly welcome. Bring a 'Quote of the Week' or a new 'City
of the Week,' or even a 'Record of the Week' so long as it
isn't 3891 dentists who would be members.